Friday, October 25, 2013

May Be Living In Peru for a While...

So Mrs. Done by Forty's research is going a bit more slowly than we'd planned. She is putting in crazy hours, usually not leaving to go home for the night until 10 or 11 pm. And she works seven days a week. Still, she is not progressing at the rate she needs to in order to actually finish her research by February. The bottom line is that it's likely that she'll have to go back to Peru for a second stint early next year. This poses a significant problem since this research is gathering the data for her dissertation but, more importantly, it means I might be away from Mrs. Done by Forty even longer. This isn't going to work because, readers, I really miss my wife. We're only a month in and I am hurting. Life is not going great without her. I'm not eating right, not sleeping right, I can't focus at work or on this blog, and the thought of even more time apart is a deal breaker. So, if things proceed like they are, I have to figure out a plan to go to go down there and work from Peru while Mrs. Done by Forty finishes up.
Here are some of the items I'm going to need to work through in the coming weeks and months:

Getting it cleared through work. My boss's boss said it was fine the other day in our skip level meeting, but I still have to clear the idea with my leader. He's an understanding guy and I think it should be okay, especially if I can figure out the next item.

Technology. I have to actually be able to do my job down there, so that means having a good enough LAN internet connection (wireless isn't allowed even in my home office now) to handle VOIP calls, WebEx, and SaaS applications. I also have to set up a soft-phone configuration on my laptop. I don't think it will be a big deal but I have noticed that her internet connection at the museum sometimes cannot handle a video Skype call, but can definitely handle a voice call. A workaround is to figure out a way to do most of my work via email and less on weekly calls with customers. Oh, and we have to convince the landlady to let us install internet on the property.

Phone backup. A workaround to make international calls through my personal computer would be great. If for some reason my soft phone application on my work computer doesn't work, I think I'd need some sort of backup available through my personal computer (such as using Google Voice or the gmail phone plug in) to make calls to the U.S. occasionally, especially if I dropped off a conference call with business clients. I'd be fine paying a per minute rate, but any advice readers have for a certain service or software would be appreciated.

Mrs. Done by Forty's advisor and committee. I think her committee will be understanding of the extra time needed and she already was planning on not taking classes in the spring. But she'll still need to seek their approval of the revised plan.

The dogs and the house. I talked to our renters, N and C, about possibly watching our dogs and the house for a few months. We own two of the most needy golden retrievers known to man, so this is no small task. But the upside is they'd now have the whole house to use. Our housemates can use our office as a music room for C (who, it turns out, is an amazing guitarist), and they can have his and her bathrooms. They are thinking it over. I'd even be willing to concede a little lower rent if that's what it took to seal the deal, but I get the impression they think getting the whole house for $400 sounds pretty good.

Costs. Rent will be the same in Peru whether I am there or not. Food, utilities, and transportation costs should be cheaper there, too. The main expense will be the flight to get me to get down to Lima, and then a shorter flight and a bus ride in country, which cost about $1,000 total for Mrs. Done by Forty this fall. And then we'll also need to purchase the same travel tickets for my wife, too. Still, there is actually an outside chance this trip would save us money, compared to living in Arizona.

Taxes. I don't know how this stint of working in Peru would affect taxes, if at all. I believe I still owe the same federal and state income taxes even though I'm physically working in another country. But might I also owe income taxes to Peru? My hope is that since I'll be there for ninety days or less, maybe the situation isn't that complicated. I think this will be a question for H.R. but if any of you readers have experience in this area, it would be much appreciated.

I am sure I'm missing some key points, but those are the things I'll be working on for now. (Advice is welcome!) We still have a few months to figure it out but I'm already excited with the idea of it. I've never visited another country for more than a couple weeks. I might even learn Spanish, which would be cool. But mostly I am excited with the idea that I'll get to see my wife! It's not logical because this is the same time that she originally was going to be back in the states, but my monkey brain, as Jason Hull would say, doesn't see it that way. It's just happy that it gets to spend time with that hot red-head that used to live with us.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

*Photo of Macchu Picchu is from bazzat2003 at Flickr Creative Commons.

53 comments:

It sounds like an exciting proposition you have! I'm definitely in the camp of moving down to Peru. For me, I couldn't imagine being away from the lady and the little one for a month or a longer period of time. I would be in Peru asap. We actually plan on moving overseas as a family when I finish up my dissertation as well so we'll be doing the same type of planning in the next year or two. As far as voip options, we currently use a Obi and it works really well. I know a lot of people use them overseas (some need a proxy) with great call quality.

Awww, it's adorable that you want to join the Mrs down in Peru. And it could be such an awesome adventure, too! I'm crossing my fingers that you get the internet access issue straightened out and find out about tax implications, since those seem to be the biggest hurdles. Looking forward to hearing how it works out!

I have to agree with Mrs. Pop - it's really cute how much you miss your wife! I would do the same, if I could. I don't work remotely so that wouldn't be possible, but I cannot imagine being away from my SO for a month or more! It sounds like a really interesting opportunity to get a taste of a different culture. I hope it all works out so that you can be with her soon!

Aww, this is so sweet that you miss your wife! Peru is a great place to go to and I am sure you will have an amazing experience! I wanted to incorporate Peru into my SA trip this coming February, but then realised I wanted to spend a couple of weeks there for sure, so hopefully next time! I hope your plan gets approved by your boss, and the bosses boss and the rest, and I will soon be reading about you joining your wife in Peru! :P

Hi Eva. I'm lucky in that I get to visit her in November for a couple weeks (one in Peru, one in Ecuador) but that's not going to be enough. So hopefully in the spring I can get a longer stay with the missus.

Awe I'm sorry you're missing your wife so much. I'm sure that isn't easy being apart. Sounds like the only thing complicated is all the techie stuff. If I were your house mates I'd gladly watch two needly golden retrievers! I hope you can figure it all out. Would you go the first time she is there or when she would have to go back a second time?

Yeah, the tech stuff is what bothers me because it's somewhat out of my control. I can convince my boss and housemates, I think, but the wireless internet is immune to my powers of persuasion. I'll go there for a couple weeks in November for her first stint, and then hopefully for the entire second stint.

Good for you, DB40! Right after we bought the farm, Rick stayed in our old town as he finished up his job too, and it was really difficult after awhile. 7 months in he was here where he belongs. Good for you for taking the steps you need to take to be with your wife - I'm sure you'll be glad you went. :-)

I think it would be hard to be apart for long stints of time when it can be avoided. I had a good friend that was apart from her now husband for three years of their four year courtship. I hope it works out for you and the missus.

Aww, I am so sorry to hear that you're missing your wife, I hope it works out in your favor to go to Peru! I only know it for U.S. purposes, but if it's less than 90 days, it wouldn't make sense for you to pay taxes unless you were receiving salary or reimbursement from a Peruvian institution/company. However, I am not sure at all, so I'd be interested to read what you find out. I will think positive thoughts that it works in your favor! B and I were apart for a few months (though I could see him on some weekends at least), and I agree the distance is tough, let alone if they're in another country!

Thanks, Anna. I was thinking that if I were in the typical visa window of 90 days I could probably avoid extra taxation, but that's a total guess. I'll do some research and maybe make a post out of it.

I'm so glad to hear others have dealt with time apart -- it's oddly encouraging to just hear how other people have done it.

Good luck getting to your wife! I agree with the above commenters, it is very sweet how much you miss your wife. If being away from her bothers you that much then I think you should make the trip to Peru if it's feasible. Good luck!

I guess it's true then that men are creatures of habit and Mrs. Done by Forty is part of your daily life hence the longing part and it sounds so sweet of you. When you join her, I worry about your golden retrievers. You see, I am a dog lover too. I don't understand how much dogs can be affected by separation anxiety but N and C will be there, yes?

Yes, you should definitely skype with the dogs or something. Our chihuahua has never been the same since we left for a month this summer (and he was spoiled by his grandparents the whole time!). He's super needy now and gets angry when we go near the garage. He even slips out there and waits in the car to ensure that we can't leave without him...ever.

Good luck! Sounds like an adventure that you should take advantage of!

Yeah, our dogs will probably miss us but luckily N and C will be here. I should mention that when we went on our honeymoon they threw a little fit, with our younger one ripping apart and even peeing on her doggie bed. No bueno. But we had a friend they'd only occasionally seen house sit for us then, so hopefully it'll be better with our housemates.

I would everything I could to get to Peru - It's very sweet that you miss your wife. My husband hates being away for even one night - if he has to go for 3/4 he takes me with him lol, so I totally understand where you're coming from.

Worked from Peru for 7 years. We are now back in the states. Worked in IT over the internet. Vonage VOIP, with call hunting a virtual Peruvian number to ring my cellphone in Peru, and a US number , so customers and co-workers and the boss could conttact me. Webex, Laptop etc. Slingbox to send my cable TV signal over the internet, watching US TV ifrom my laptop or porting it to my big screen. We had 2 internet lines in the house , one as backup or to keep the kids off my connection while working. Telefonica/Telmex, also a smartphone with Vonage connection to call the US or anywhere without a charge, using the internet.

Loved my life in Peru, plan on living there. Had to retuurn , job action :)

That's great information, finecannibal. I think we have the tech down to make calls out (gmail's phone plugin works great, it seems). But getting incoming calls is a whole 'nother matter. I will try your idea with a passthrough to ring a Peruvian cell phone, which I believe will not use minutes for incoming calls.

I'm always so intrigued by what you write. It's just enjoyable. I love that you miss your wife and you share it. I would be the exact same way. I hope you get to make the trip, and I hope you have the time of your life!

Sorry to hear that you aren't doing so well right now. At least you are looking pretty good to go down there next time with your wife to work. That's awesome that your company is giving you that kind of flexibility and trust.

It sounds like an exciting opportunity and I am sure you'll get to love living in Peru (although it's clear that being close to your wife is all that matters). Maybe your wife can try to find a new property to rent where there is internet access - if not, I am sure that the current landlord will accept an internet deal and not risk losing tenants. However, adventure awaits and I am for some reason really excited about this, even though it's not me going :))

Absence does make the heart grow fonder. You should go if your work lets you swing it. If you're away long enough you might not have to pay any federal tax, I would consult a tax advisor. We'll then see Done by Forty the Peru edition

This is awesome. I'm impressed at how amenable your job is to this situation, and as long as that's all okay then I would jump at the opportunity. I don't really see what the downside is, and the upside is huge. Not only do you get the time with your wife, but you get it in a new environment that should be really fun for you guys to experience together. Sort of like an extended late honeymoon (except for the working part). I'm excited for you!

Thanks, Matt. That's a great way of looking at it. I meet with my boss this week and will broach the subject then. Hopefully he's on board but, even if he's not, everything's a negotiation. Maybe he can be convinced.

It's great to hear that your job has the flexibility to let you work from Peru. It is also very awesome to live in a different country and become immersed in their culture. I've always wanted to do that (I did spend 1 month in Mexico in a group study exchange...but 1 month is too short). Can't wait to hear more about the experience. And as for your renters...$400 for the whole place is a great deal, even if they have to take care of the dogs.

Hi, Andrew. I agree that the house for $400 seems like a pretty good deal but if we have to sweeten the pot, I'll do it. That's one area where I'd be happy to lose out on some money to know that my house is being lived in and watched, and that my dogs are being taken care of.

Your stint in Mexico sounds pretty cool. I've never left the country for more than a couple weeks so I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm really pleased for you that you might be able to work something out so that you can go and be with your wife. I can't imagine how difficult this time must be for you both! I hope everything goes to plan with your work and your tenants. It will be hard leaving your dogs for a while but it's only temporary and I think you'll be a lot happier being near your wife. :)

Yeah, my dogs are great but they're no match for the awesomeness of Mrs. DB40. They'll just have to deal. I suspect they'll mope and act out a bit but ultimately they'll be fine. C and N are part of their family, too, so I think they'll be all right.

If your work approves it, I say go for it. It will have it's challenges I'm sure, but imagine the stories you will have from living abroad together! Plus, I barely survived 4 days without my husband so I can imagine how hard this is for you being apart from your wife. I hope it works out so you can go!

Thank you, Tara! Yeah the time apart is tough but luckily I get to see my wife for a short stint in less than three weeks. I'm trying to learn Spanish in like, 15 days, so hopefully I can put together a phrase or two by then.

I really hope you can make it work, that would be awesome! I don't think you have to pay any taxes as the US have reciprocity agreements with most countries. Fingers crossed, I did the long distance thing and it really sucks.

The taxes will be an interesting situation - you're a US citizen, being paid from a (presumably) US company, so you're definitely on the hook for US taxes - no idea about Peru's. Also watch what type of visa you get - some prohibit work *of any kind* while in the country, and I wouldn't want to skirt those laws with telework...

I always wanted to move to another country even though I am currently living in a place where I moved to about 10 years ago. Living in a new country is always so exciting, meaning new food, new language, and new culture. It is truly a great experience and I hope you and your family have a great time!

We just returned from our Peru trip a few days ago and seriously considered moving down there. The exchange rate is pretty good and we ate extremely well and bought much for very cheap. Like steak dinners for $20 a pop at a 5-star hotel. I don't recall us paying tax on purchases, but I can't say for sure if it was us not paying attention or if we really paid none. That makes me think that taxes might be higher for people who work there, because in Lima, they really do take care of the city and the infrastructure. But I really don't know. I'm still processing our trip so hopefully I'll be able to give some more advice in the future. We were there for only 2 weeks but we definitely learned a lot. What a fantastic opportunity for you, I hope it works out!